Celebrate Small Business Week Throughout May with 50% Off Closing Costs for Loans of up to $250,000 Started This Month1

Small Business Week is a time to recognize the entrepreneurs who help our communities thrive, creating jobs, building local wealth, and providing the goods and services people count on every day.

It’s also a chance to look at what small businesses need to keep moving forward. For many entrepreneurs, especially those in historically underserved communities across the Deep South, access to fair financing and trusted guidance can make all the difference.

That’s where credit unions like Hope Credit Union (HOPE) play an important role, helping small business owners find the support, resources, and relationships they need to start, grow, and strengthen their businesses. Read on to see how.

What Is National Small Business Week?

National Small Business Week is celebrated annually in the first week of May to recognize the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. It highlights the contributions of local shops, business startups, and service providers that create jobs and drive innovation, strengthening our communities.

How Credit Unions Help Small Businesses Grow


For small business owners, the right financial partner can make it easier to manage day-to-day needs, plan for growth, and access funding when it matters most. Credit unions are member-owned financial institutions, which means they’re built to serve people and communities, not outside shareholders. Many – like HOPE – offer business accounts, loans, and local guidance you can’t find at big national banks.

Business checking, savings, and digital tools

Managing a small business takes time, organization, and reliable access to your money. Business checking, savings, and digital banking tools can help entrepreneurs handle everyday payments, deposits, transfers, and account activity more efficiently.

At HOPE, we’re proud to support entrepreneurs and small businesses with low- and no-fee options:

We also offer digital tools that help streamline your day-to-day operations, so you can spend less time managing finances and more time growing your business and serving your customers.

Term loans, lines of credit, and commercial real estate financing

Whether you are just starting your business or ready to take the next big step, credit unions like HOPE offer different loans and financing options to get you the money you need: 

  • Term Loans: Great for buying things you need once, like furniture, tools, or a work truck.
  • Lines of Credit: Provides the backup you need to purchase extra supplies or cover costs.
  • Commercial Real Estate: Financing for business owners who are ready to buy, build, or fix up their own shop or office.

HOPE is celebrating Small Business Week throughout the month with a special offer of 50% off closing fees for loans of up to $250,000 on applications submitted during May.

Financial coaching and entrepreneur education

Running a business often means making important financial decisions along the way. Having access to guidance and educational resources can help entrepreneurs feel more confident in those decisions.

At HOPE, we support you in meeting your financial goals through our partnership with GreenPath Financial Wellness. Through GreenPath, HOPE offers free individualized financial counseling, guidance, and educational resources, keeping your business strong and successful for years to come.

Why Entrepreneurs Turn to Credit Unions for Small Business Loans

Member-owned, not-for-profit structure

When it comes to financing, the structure of your financial institution matters. Unlike traditional banks that answer to stakeholders, credit unions are member-owned, not-for-profit cooperatives.

Lower rates and fewer fees than traditional banks

Our focus is on member success rather than profits. Any profit we make is returned to our members in the form of lower loan rates, fewer fees, and better service.

This means our members have access to several financial advantages, including:

  • Lower interest rates on term loans
  • Reduced monthly maintenance fees for business accounts
  • Higher savings yields to help you build your capital

Local decision-making and personal relationships

At HOPE, we make decisions through people who live in your community and understand your local market, ensuring you have a lender who is truly invested in your success and provides the specific, personal attention your business deserves.

The CDFI Difference: Reaching Underserved Entrepreneurs


A Community Development Financial Institution, or CDFI, is a mission-driven financial organization focused on expanding access to credit, capital, and financial services in underserved communities.

For small business owners, that can mean access to fair financing, trusted guidance, and the opportunity to build relationships with a financial partner that understands the challenges they face. As a CDFI, HOPE works to help more entrepreneurs get the support they need to start, grow, and strengthen their businesses – especially those who may be overlooked by traditional banks.

Support for Black- and women-owned businesses

HOPE’s tailored account and lending services include support for Black- and women-owned businesses. For many of these business owners in the Deep South, the path to financial stability has been marked by challenges ranging from wage gaps to limited access to affordable credit.

HOPE works to reduce these barriers and create opportunities for economic mobility. Having a trusted partner who understands these realities can make the difference between simply getting by and truly moving forward.

Hope Credit Union’s Impact Across the Deep South

HOPE’s business loans provide financing to underserved populations and communities in the Deep South, with 50% of loans supporting Black- and women-owned businesses and 74% made in economically distressed regions. We bring necessary financial services to under-served across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

If you are a small business that needs financing to start, stabilize, and grow, HOPE can help you make it happen. Contact Hope Credit Union today to learn more and see how.

1Offer valid on loan applications submitted from May 1 though May 31, 2026.